THE STORY OF WHITE PINE 



37 



tion and covering of houses. It is 

 equally suitable for matches and ship- 

 masts. The plank and picket fences 

 which enclosed farms and gardens were 

 of this pine before advancing 

 price displaced them, but the 

 wood yet fills much demand in 

 that direction. It is the most 

 important box and crate wood 

 in the United States, and has 

 always been. No other pos- 

 sesses so many of the desirable 

 qualities demanded by the box 

 industry. Fields of its useful- 

 ness might be further specified 

 almost indefinitely. 



Back of the great demand 

 stand the two prime reasons, 

 suitability and abundance. 

 Neither could alone lead to so 

 nearly ubiquitous demand. 

 When white pine is oven-dry 

 it weighs twenty-four pounds 

 per cubic foot, which is equiv- 

 alent to 2000 pounds per 1000 

 feet board measure. But wood 

 for business purposes is never 

 oven-dry, and an extreme 

 lightness of two pounds per 

 board foot is theoretical onlv. 

 About 2400 pounds per 1000 

 feet is the weight of the light- 

 est pine handled by the ordi- 

 nary yard. Sugar pine of 

 California is a little lighter 

 than white pine, but all others 

 of America areheavier. South- 

 ern longleaf yellow pine is 

 nearly twice as heavy. 

 Though white pine which has 

 been subjected to a long period 

 of air-seasoning seems abso- 

 lutely dry, it really contains 

 several hundred pounds of 

 water to a wagon load of the 

 lumber. It is impossible in 

 practice to have wood abso- 

 lutely dry, but white pine can 

 be made as nearly so as any. 

 When it has been thoroughly seasoned, 

 there is such a small amount of moisture 

 in it that the wood warps next to none 

 as a result of atmospheric changes. 



That is why it is so well liked for 

 doors, frames, sash, machinery parts, 

 and cores for veneer work. Once in 



place, it is always in place. It is de- 

 pendable. It holds its shape. Few 

 woods are its equal in that respect. The 

 door alreadv mentioned 



New England 



Ix THE Froxt Three Hundred Ye.^rs. 



WHITE PIXE PICKETS H.WE PALED IX MORE Y.\RDS .\XD GARDENS TH.\X 

 .\Xy OTHER WOOD OX E.\RTH. THE E.\RLIEST XEW EXGL.\XDERS 

 USED THEM AXD THE VILL.\GE YARDS IX THE LAKE ST.\TES STILL 

 SELL THEM BY THOUSAXDS. THE PICTURE SHOWS A TRUCK LOAD 

 IX THE PIXE TREE M.\XUF.\CTURIXG C0MP.\XY'S YARD AT LITTLE 

 F.A.LLS, MINN. 



though it is 283 years old, is as true 

 today as when it clicked its wooden 

 lock for the first time. The joints are 

 as tight as are those of Egyptian cofiins. 

 In the museums and historical houses 

 of northeastern states are innvunerable 

 relics of former times, such as cornice, 



